Dry takes toll on dams after three months without rain

DRY weather and increased water consumption are draining dam capacities on the Sunshine Coast.

In the past three months, unseasonably dry weather has caused some dams to drop in capacity by nearly 40%, but a SEQWater spokesman said the public had nothing to worry about.

"Dam levels vary due to drinking-water demand and consumption, evaporation, riparian losses and rainfall levels within their catchment areas," he said.

"With the water grid in place, water supplies, storages and treatment plants are connected across south-east Queensland.

"The Northern Pipeline Interconnector connects the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane, providing the ability to transfer water between the regions and ensuring continuous quality water supply for the Sunshine Coast, in drought or deluge."

Capacity at Baroon Pocket, the Coast's major water source, has dropped by 8.4% to 91.4% since July.

This is the lowest the dam has been since December last year.

More alarmingly, Ewen Maddock Dam, which sits about 5km south-east of Mooloolah, has reached a 12-year low of 69.4%.

The dam was full only three months ago.

"The level of Ewen Maddock Dam was drawn down to 75% while SEQWater undertook construction work to upgrade the dam," the spokesman said.

"This level will be maintained until the work is completed in December.

"Currently, due to drinking-water consumption, Ewen Maddock Dam is at 69.4% of capacity.

"Ewen Maddock Dam was previously at 69.4% in 2000 and the current water level is not considered to be abnormally low."

Weatherzone meterologist Melissa MacKellar said the past three months had been very dry but the Sunshine Coast could count on summer rain.

"Winter is a drier season anyway, but there have been a lot of high pressure systems lingering over eastern Australia," Ms MacKellar said.

"These high-pressure systems have brought generally more sunny and clear conditions and August and September were exceptionally dry months.

"It gets wetter heading into summer, and over summer we're expecting close to average rainfall."